


i like me better when i’m with you

by fullhyuck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, lots of pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 21:34:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14387586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullhyuck/pseuds/fullhyuck
Summary: In which Lucas tries to deal with his immense crush on his cute new roommate and creates the worlds biggest misunderstanding in the process.





	i like me better when i’m with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hyeyel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyeyel/gifts).



> for my favourite person (i love u!!!! im sorry it took 200 years)

Lucas’ eyes automatically close with a synced sigh when the door to his apartment clicks open to reveal not one, but two now very clear voices.

Just like (almost; but he’d argue every if he was ever to confront his _active_ roommate) every night, he recognises the unmissable tone of voice he could identify even from a mile way. Not just because the voice happens to be the most unique voice Lucas has ever come across (and the cutest, his mind unhelpfully adds), but also because Ten is currently yelling at 2am while Lucas is trying get his well deserved sleep—or nap, considering he has to be up in 3 hours to finish a project he’s been putting off for way too long.

Not even how cute Ten, obviously drunk and giddy, somehow still manages to sound to Lucas right now is enough for him to ignore the pinch of annoyance he feels. He lets out an even bigger sigh when the guy Ten has chosen tonight mutters something in English with a deep, obviously exaggerated voice (is that supposed to be impressive? Lucas could raise his voice higher on purpose and still sound that deep).

Now Lucas may not be fluent in English, but he understands enough to know that anything including the words “destroy you” and “scream” paired with Ten’s giggle afterwards is not a good sign for his impending headache and sleep deprivation.

Lucas coughs loudly when the talking fades into light padding of footsteps heading up the hallway, reminding Ten that he does in fact, exist. It’s amazing that he could even manage to forget in the first place, with Lucas being a 6ft tall human with a booming voice and legs probably the length of Ten’s whole body, currently spread out unattractively on the bed next to the latter’s own bed. He _really_ hopes Ten isn’t planning on fucking this guy in the same room as him, because the only other place big enough in this apartment is—

The bathroom. Gross.

Ten gets the hint and pops his head through the bedroom door, thankfully alone, one hand (completely covered by the sleeve of his too big beige sweater) clinging onto the door to keep it open. “Oh, Xuxi.”

 _Oh, Xuxi,_ Lucas mocks in his head, a desperate attempt to distract his own heart from the way it wants to beat faster at the use of his nickname. Him and Ten were hardly _friends_ yet, having only known each other for a week or so, who gave him the right to be so friendly and—cute. So goddamn cute. It’s distracting him from the fact that he’s currently annoyed at the cute boy in front of him. Only slightly.

What comes out of his mouth is a pathetic, “Sorry, hyung.”

Curse his weakness for cute things.

“Sorry?” Ten raises his eyebrows, an amused grin on his face.

There’s not much Lucas can do now to save himself. “For being here—” Ten’s smile only grows, and Lucas sits up quickly, realising he’d still been flopped out carelessly onto the bed. Not a good look. “When you—were going to—with this guy.”

“For cockblocking me?” Ten finishes for him, words slurred and feet unsteady. Lucas would be surprised, but even after only knowing his roommate for a week, he’s used to Ten saying things that catch him off guard.

(The first time was during their first meeting, when Lucas had accidentally blurted out “Wow, you’re _small_.” instead of greeting Ten like a normal person. He’s aware he probably made an ugly shocked expression afterwards, scared Ten would get offended, but Ten had simply laughed with the brightest expression Lucas had ever seen and said “Cute.” His cheeks _may_ have heated up.)

Lucas decides right there that drunk Ten is not much different to sober Ten, albeit gigglier. He giggles _again_ at how Lucas seems speechless after his declaration, and Lucas finds himself giggling back—though his is more of a bark, loud and high and short, and only makes Ten’s giggle grow into a full blown laugh.

“I forgot I didn’t live alone,” Giggle. “That’s so funny. Sorry, Xuxi, I’ll…” Ten trails off, glancing back at what Lucas assumes is his date for the night. Or something like that. Considering it’s the 3rd guy he’s brought over this week (Granted, the other 2 were for more innocent reasons. They both already looked like they were in love with Ten, though), Lucas doesn’t quite know what Ten’s dating situation is.

“Oh, he left.”

“He left?” Lucas jumps up from the bed just in time to hear the door shut, see a tall figure leave without looking back.

He turns to look at Ten with a somewhat concerned expression. If his hookup had turned and left before anything had happened, he thinks he’d be at least a little hurt, but Ten watches the door with his lips slightly pursed, no sign of care on his face.

“I guess we chatted too long,” He says, goofy smile back on his face like it never left. “Did you eat? I already ate _so much_ , but I want more. Let’s order food.”

He pats the small of Lucas’ back before making his way into their bedroom, flopping onto his bed, eyelids fluttering closed, each small exhale causing his bangs to move just a little. His breathing evens out before Lucas even has the chance to agree—he’s glad, because he doesn’t think he has the heart to tell him that no one around here delivers after midnight on a Thursday.

  
“Xuxi.”

Lucas’ eyebrows furrow at the sound of the soft voice. His eyes don’t open yet, but he’s half-awake, confused by the tickling feeling currently attacking the palm of his hand. He’s pretty sure his hands are tucked under the blanket right now but he’s too tired to check, so he flexes his fingers, trying to get rid of the feeling without actually making any effort.

The pads of his fingers meet what feels like skin, only smoother, a little warmer. Shouldn’t his hands be warmer if they’re under the blanket?

He gives in and opens his eyes, the sleep that desperately drags his eyelids back down disappearing once he catches sight of his own hand underneath _Ten’s hand_. His own hand is hanging off the bed, invitingly so, limbs long enough that it actually _reaches_ Ten’s bed, and Ten’s pointer finger is tracing circles into Lucas’ palm.

His other hand clings onto 2 of Lucas’ fingers. It’s light, giving Lucas a chance to pull his hand back, but Lucas feels stuck, almost entranced by how soft his movements are.

Lucas has never been one to mask emotions well, ever, so the small hitch in his breath when his eyes follow Ten’s curled up figure to his face is inevitable.

_Soft. Small. Sleepy._

Way paler than usual. Lucas makes a mental note to buy more painkillers for him later.

He feels like his voice will crack if he tries to speak, so he coughs to clear his throat, licks his lips before they curl into a nervous smile involuntarily. Then Ten is pulling his hand back, amused grin on his face, and Lucas has to physically resist the urge to whine by forcing his body into the most exaggerated stretch ever.

“Good morning,” Ten says, voice sounding entirely fucked out. Lucas wonders how much he actually drank last night. “I wanted to see if you wanted to get breakfast with me but you wouldn’t wake up. Sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

God, _no_. Uncomfortable is the last word he’d use. Dangerous, maybe.

“It’s fine,” Lucas pats himself on the back mentally for not stuttering on the first 2 words at least. His standards for his own mental state has lowered since meeting Ten. “I’ll, yeah. I’ll come. What time is it?”

“Around 10am,” Ten makes his way into the bathroom, leaving Lucas alone to stare into space and think about how much he regrets agreeing to room with someone this cute for a few minutes. “Are you gonna shower? Please don’t be too long, I’m so hungry.”

Yeah, sober Ten isn’t much different to drunk Ten. Lucas decides to cut his usual 30 minute long shower to 5 minutes for him.

 

The longer Lucas spends living with Ten, the more guys he seems to bring around. It’s not a problem, because Ten neither brings them back late anymore nor brings them over for any intention other than a quick movie (He makes sure to go over to the other person's house for anything else—Lucas knows because Ten not so discreetly calls Doyoung, the one who introduced Ten to Lucas in the first place, to tell him about it most nights).

There’s _one_ problem.

Because as they grow as friends, finding out they get on extremely well (alternatively: Lucas finding out Ten’s personality is even more attractive than his face and pathetically trying to ignore that fact), Ten starts to bring the same guy over. Again. And again. Until Lucas gets told, by a puppy-eyed, practically bouncing with happiness Ten, that he’s settled down.

And Lucas likes the guy. He really does. Jungwoo is a fun, nice guy to be around who takes care of Ten well. He’s someone, generally, Lucas would trust to be with someone like Ten (not that Ten needs his _permission_ —he’s just glad he’s not dating an asshole. Ten deserves a good guy for the way he fixes Lucas’ mattress cover for him because it keeps flinging off for no reason and Lucas just can’t get it right, and the way he sometimes leaves a cup of ramen on the side when Lucas comes home too tired from college to put any effort into finding and making food. Ten is a good guy).

So why is it that as the days pass, the slight bitter taste in his mouth every time Ten says he’s going out with Jungwoo only gets stronger?

He wishes (for the 2nd time) that he was someone who could easily mask any slight emotions when Jungwoo eyes him warily, sitting on the edge of Ten’s bed stiffly while he waits for Ten to shower.

“Are you okay with me?”

“What?” Lucas’ voice sounds thunderous in the quiet of the room, even louder than usual out of shock. Jungwoo visibly flinches and Lucas automatically goes into a state of regret, not meaning to scare him. That’s one thing Jungwoo and Lucas clash on; where Jungwoo’s voice is abnormally quiet and soft, Lucas’ voice couldn’t be more opposite.

He lowers his voice to repeat it, “Why wouldn’t I? I have no reason not to like you.”

“Okay, it’s just,” Jungwoo pauses, glancing towards the bathroom door. The shower is still running, and Lucas is left holding his breath waiting for Jungwoo to speak up again. “Never mind.”

Lucas is left wondering even longer, because Ten walks into the room with a soft greeting and a towel in his hair and the tension in the room dissipates like magic.

  
1 month into living with Ten, Lucas thinks his mini crush on his roommate has completely disappeared.

He meets a girl at a cafe one day, when he’s aggressively typing words that don’t even make sense anymore into his laptop in the corner of the room, eyesight blurry and ears fuzzy with sleep deprivation. There’s plenty of seats left, but a girl who looks a little older than him takes a seat opposite him, shyly nodding as a greeting when Lucas looks up at her under the cap he’s using to hide the mess he looks right now.

Lucas greets her enthusiastically, happy to have some company that isn’t the face of middle aged people trying to teach him stuff he doesn’t care about through a youtube video. The girl seems to gain confidence through Lucas’ reaction, introduces herself with a pretty laugh, only to ask him on a date by the end of the night.

Lucas says yes, of course, because the girl is nice and makes him laugh even when he feels like he’s about to pass out any moment. It definitely doesn’t have anything to do with the fact he’s still trying to distract himself from a big, gay crush. Honestly. The date happens only a few days later, short but sweet in a much nicer cafe, and that’s that.

Lucas has someone, Ten has someone. The fact that sometimes waking up without Ten’s softer hands tracing shapes into Lucas’ rougher ones is a little disappointing isn’t as important anymore.

  
“Which cap?”

Lucas’ eyes focus in on each cap held in Ten’s hands. The only difference between the 2 is that one is a slightly lighter shade of red, but Lucas supposes Ten actually cares about that and finds himself humming in genuine thought (he didn’t say his crush on Ten disappearing meant he didn’t still have Lucas wrapped around his finger).

“That one.” Lucas points to the darker shade. Ten tilts his head for a moment, bottom lip out in thought, but settles with it in the end, throwing the other cap behind him.

“Good choice,” He puts it on, ruffling his hair a little for the look. It wasn’t exactly a life or death decision—Ten would probably say good choice to either—but Lucas revels in the praise anyway. “Wait—do you think you can reach the attic?”

Lucas laughs somewhat cockily, rolling up his sleeves. Ten watches him with a glint of amusement in his eyes and a small curl in his lips, leans back onto the wall, crossing his arms in expectation.

“ _Do I think I can reach the attic._ ” Lucas scoffs. He doesn’t know why he’s so excited to show off like this in front of Ten, but as he reaches to open the attic door with only a slight raise of his toes, he finds himself looking back to gauge Ten’s reaction. Ten’s wearing his signature (in Lucas’ eyes—he gets this look a lot) amused grin, eyebrows raising.

Deep down, there’s a part of Lucas that’s brave enough to acknowledge that doing something for Ten feels _good_. Taking care of his smaller roommate—friend, now—even just by something as small as this, makes his heart race with something Lucas doesn’t want to place.

He recalls feeling the same when all he had done was bring a hungover Ten an energy drink, some painkillers and something he’d picked up from McDonald’s on his way home just incase Ten was hungry. Ten had scrunched his nose in a thank you because his head had throbbed too much to talk, and silently offered him a chicken nugget.

“Impressive,” Ten counters, sarcasm dripping from his tone, but he’s still grinning up at Lucas. Lucas hopes he himself isn’t smiling as big as he thinks he is. “Can you reach the shoes? They should be near the door. Or in a box. I don’t remember where I left them.”

Lucas tries his hardest, but the tip of his finger only manages to graze what feels like cardboard. He hears Ten laugh behind him when he lets out struggled groans.

“Okay, big boy,” And Ten just tapped his butt. This is fine. What does it matter now that Lucas _doesn’t_ have a crush on him. “Come down. I think I can get them if you lift me up.”

Lucas wants to argue that unless he physically launches Ten into the attic, he doesn’t see how this could help, but when Ten stands in front of him and reaches his shorter arms up high, all he can focus on is the small of the waist in front of him, shirt rising and revealing skin that doesn’t help Lucas’ heartbeat in the slightest. He clears his throat.

“Uh, okay.” He holds his waist as carefully as possible while trying to hold secure enough to actually lift Ten up without _dropping_ him. It proves a difficult task. Especially when his heart is beating this hard in his chest. Why does it matter that Ten’s frame is so dainty, Lucas’ hands almost look scary compared? _Lucas doesn’t even like Ten anymore_.

“Am I too heavy?”

“No. You’re good. It’s fine.” Maybe he replied too quick.

He manages to lift him eventually though, arms hooked securely around Ten’s thighs now and Ten reaches towards the box with so much ease (and a bend no one’s body should be able to perform) that Lucas suddenly feels ashamed of his own stiff body. “Do small people have powers I’m missing out on?”

Ten chuckles, retreats from the attic completely with a box in his hands. Lucas’ arms suddenly feel too empty when the others’ feet touch the ground again. “Dancer powers.”

“You da—”

“Lucas is your little puppy, huh?” An uninvited voice inputs, making Lucas physically jump because it was definitely only him and Ten in the apartment 2 seconds ago. “Whenever I come around here, he’s attached to your hip. Maybe me setting you two up together as roommates was fate.”

Doyoung strolls in casually like he hadn’t just almost put Lucas in his grave, but then his words register in Lucas’ mind and Lucas suddenly wishes he was in his grave with the blush that just formed on his cheeks. Ten scoffs and throws something he’d retrieved from the box towards Doyoung. It looks like a cactus figurine of some sort. Lucas doesn’t question it.

“I wouldn’t exactly say little,” Ten retorts, and Lucas wants to cry. Ten is supposed to deny it, say something about how Doyoung needs to keep him out of his furry tendencies, not _agree_. “I’m kidding, Xuxi,” Did his face give it away? “But you’re cute enough to be a puppy.”

Now all Lucas wants to do is _hit_ Ten for making the butterflies in his stomach lose their shit just with compliments. But not too hard. Ten is too special to have to deal with even a bruise.

“Maybe if you didn’t come around here uninvited so often,” Lucas suggests, earning an unimpressed sigh from Doyoung. “Did you come to steal our food again? Because I already ate all the peanuts this time.”

“I hooked you up with a roommate, I have rights. And a spare key,” He twirls the key around his fingers, expression smug. “My mum wants to come to the show, Ten. She told me to ask you whether there’s any spare tickets.”

“Of course,” Ten doesn’t look away from the shoes he’s currently inspecting when he answers. “Wow, Mrs Kim really likes me.”

“It’s concerning at this point,” Doyoung retorts. Lucas feels for him; he still remembers when his mum had first met Chenle, and she’d told him he was cuter than Lucas had ever been in his life. Lucas would be lying if he said he didn’t pout in pure offence. “Anyway, thanks, man. That’s all I needed.”

He leaves in a hurry, and Lucas wastes no time in seeking answers. “Show? Dancer powers?”

“We’ve been living together for a month and you didn’t know I dance?” Ten places the box beside Lucas on the bed, taking a seat next to him to put the shoes on. Lucas isn’t sure what they exactly are, but he can tell they’re expensive.

“You never mentioned it. And we don’t see each other that often. Whenever I’m home, you’re out working.” Lucas says, trying not to sound pouty.

“Out _dancing_ , when I’m not working,” Ten wiggles his feet happily, shoelaces lazily tucked into the side instead of tying them like the average person. “Ah, I can’t believe I haven’t told you. It’s usually the first thing I tell people even before my name.”

Lucas fights back a smile. He seems to smile a lot around Ten, but the feeling seems mutual. Ten’s smile is what fuels Lucas’ smile, after all. “You can tell me now.”

“Tell you what? You already know now.” Ten counters, pulling his legs up onto the bed to face Lucas straight on.

“Just—tell me,” _I want to see you talk about something you’re passionate about_. “Are you good at dancing?”

Ten’s eyes light up then, and he shuffles closer, elbows resting on his thighs with his chin in his palms. “...I’m okay, I think. Good because I’ve been dancing so long but nothing special.”

Maybe he’s biased, but Lucas doesn’t believe him. The way his eyes suddenly focus in on the rip in his jeans bashfully, pulling it open more with nimble fingers yet still glancing up at Lucas subtly as if he’s waiting for specific words says more than the words that left his mouth.

Lucas hums in fake thought, tilting his head slightly. He’s already made up his mind on what to say. “Is there any tickets left after Doyoung’s mum snatched one?”

“Of course. It’s just this small show my dance group’s putting on,” Ten’s grin is back, suddenly leaning closer out of what looks pure excitement. Lucas doesn’t mean to panic, but he does, quickly leaning back and shuffling further up the bed subconsciously. He hopes the flash of hurt in Ten’s expression is only in his head. “You can be the judge.”

He hopes the slight drop in tone is only in his head too, but then Ten is up and checking himself in the mirror, avoiding Lucas’ eyes. “I’m going to practice now. Don’t set the house on fire.”

“With Jungwoo?”

“Oh, we cut it off.”

Lucas almost physically splutters. Ten says it so casually, with almost no emotion other than the slight bitter snap in his voice that seemed to exist ever since Lucas—oh. Maybe him backing away came across the wrong way, how is he supposed to tell Ten that being close to him feels too right? Ten has—or had—a _boyfriend_. _Lucas is living with Ten_. There’s too many reasons it can’t feel right.

“Just like that?” Lucas’ tongue suddenly feels too thick in his mouth. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. We’re both fine. It happened just over 2 weeks ago. It’s just hard to tell the difference between platonic love and genuine love for me, sometimes,” Ten sounds genuine, throws a glance paired with a small smile his way for good measures and though Lucas is relieved, there’s something else unnamed stirring in his gut. “I think that’s what happened with us both. Wouldn’t you be happy that we broke up, though?”

Lucas doesn’t have time to retaliate, because Ten had said the last sentence over his shoulder, a step away from the door already. Even when the door closes (just as gently as Ten always does) and the only sound left in the room is the faint chattering coming from the TV, Lucas’ mind still hasn’t caught up.

  
When Lucas comes home later that night after going to see a last minute movie with Kun instead of doing the project he desperately needed to (he swears he tried, but it’s hard to focus when all that’s ringing in your mind is a certain someone’s voice), Ten is surprisingly already home.

He’s searching the cupboards, probably looking for something to eat, hair still clinging onto his forehead with sweat from practice. Lucas finds himself holding his breath. They hadn’t talked since Ten’s outburst, and he isn’t sure what the right thing to—

“Hyung.”

His big mouth works faster than his brain, apparently. He winces at himself when Ten turns around like lightning, lips in an O shape. “Do you wanna order food?” Lucas forces himself to speak up again before Ten gets the chance to.

He’d laugh at how most conversations they have involve food if he wasn’t so tense, waiting for Ten’s reply with a hand bunched into the bottom of his shirt. He’s itching to ask exactly what Ten meant by _shouldn’t you be happy,_ but the thought of breaking the peaceful friendship they have going on right now seems like the scariest thing in the world.

Whether Lucas wants more with Ten or not isn’t important anymore—Ten’s presence alone is the most beautiful thing in his life these days.

Ten hums. “I shouldn’t, I ate so much already.”

“No, please eat a lot.” Lucas says automatically, making himself cringe once again. _Self-control_. He imagines what life would be like if he had that.

Ten’s cheeks form a slight blush at his words, and for once, Lucas is sure that he isn’t imagining it. For a moment things seem normal, like what happened earlier was simply a slip of the tongue or a misunderstanding (not that Lucas even understands yet), but then Ten mutters an “okay, Lucas” and flutters towards the bathroom, having to pass Lucas closely but leaning back this time so their arms don’t brush.

It’s the combination of him making an effort to not touch _Lucas_ and calling him Lucas and not Xuxi for the second time in his life (the first time was of course their first meeting, before Lucas had told him his Chinese name and Ten had insisted he called him that, just because it sounds cuter) that leaves Lucas just watching the bathroom door close, helpless and confused.

  
It shouldn’t be a big deal when Ten cuts down on the subtle (Lucas has always noticed), casual touching he usually does during the next few weeks.

But when Ten finds he can’t reach something but doesn’t ask Lucas for help, or waits by the door to their narrow kitchen when Lucas is already in there instead of quietly worming his way into the small space with a smug expression (“Small person powers.” He had told Lucas when Lucas turned away from the fridge one day to meet a head of hair—smelling almost too strongly of the new coconut shampoo he had recently bought—just below his nose. The head of hair had looked up with crescent shaped eyes and a crinkled nose just seconds later. Lucas had almost squealed in Ten’s face), his heart drops a little deeper every time.

He catches Ten almost slinging an arm around him, just to have to stop himself and move onto the next person, usually Doyoung, often. He misses hearing the name Xuxi slip past his lips. He won’t admit it, but it had become his favourite ever since Ten took a liking to it, though he wonders if it would have the same effect if it was Doyoung saying it, or Kun, or just anyone but _Ten_.

The girl from the cafe—she wouldn’t have the same effect, either. If she had even texted him back after the first date, that is.

Lucas texts her when both him and Ten are lounging around, watching a movie on either side of the couch with Lucas’ textbooks left messily on the floor. It was Ten’s idea, claiming Lucas looked tired and deserved a break (Lucas was no more exhausted than usual, more like bored, but he’d be a fool to pass up this opportunity).

Lucas has never been one for movies. He somehow manages to get distracted minutes into it every time, especially when an extremely attractive guy is sitting just a few feet away, most of his thighs on show given how short the shorts he’s currently wearing are.

Ten had chosen an English movie, some cliche story with an unpopular guy who falls for a seemingly straight popular guy, just to find out the popular guy isn’t as straight as everyone thinks (maybe Lucas gets a few flashbacks back to high school, but that’s not important).

He shouldn’t be overbeared with thoughts about how much he’d like to kiss Ten when the first kiss scene happens, hold him in his lap just like the couple on screen, take him on dates that definitely wouldn’t be as fancy as the restaurant the popular guy had taken his lover, because Lucas is a broke college student after all, but Lucas would always try his hardest. Hold his hand just like them, only he’s sure Ten’s hands are softer than either of them put together.

With one overwhelmed glance at Ten when a particularly cringey scene comes on, seeing him watch closely with wide eyes and his bottom lip sucked into his mouth endearingly, Lucas picks up his phone and impulsively texts his date. He tells her there’s someone else he likes, there has always _been_ someone else, in the nicest way possible, too flustered under the quick glances Ten keeps giving him for some reason to rethink whether this is the smartest way to let someone down.

He supposes it’s okay to say it now. _Lucas likes Ten_. He likes him so much it hurts.

  
By the time Ten’s show comes around 3 weeks weeks later, Lucas has over thought so much that he’s convinced Ten won’t even want him there anymore (he’s resorted to sulking— _hanging out_ with Kun and Chenle at Kun’s place only an hour before the show begins). Ten soon proves him wrong though, because Lucas receives a text not long after arriving from him asking if he’s too busy to come tonight.

Lucas had all but ran out of the house with the record for the fastest “I gotta go” ever said in his hands, ignoring Chenle’s demands for an explanation until he can’t hear the shrill of his voice anymore (he finds out Chenle’s voice can be heard from an impressive distance away).

Ten texts him again then, tells him he’s at Doyoung’s if Lucas still wants to come with a smiley made out of characters Lucas had never even seen before. Maybe he gets distracted thinking about how Ten probably has all sorts of cute emoticon shortcuts for a moment. He manages to stop himself from hitting the tree, though, and that’s all that matters.

  
The venue is a lot smaller than Lucas was expecting, but maybe hyping Ten up enough in his head to the point where him performing anywhere but the Tokyo Dome seemed like injustice to him wasn’t the most realistic of choices. The backstage is cramped and hot already, a few dancers practicing beside and in front of Lucas, stretching when they’re not practicing choreo and occasionally letting out nervous exhales.

He can’t help but feel out of place and intruding, especially when Doyoung leaves his side to talk to an intimidatingly handsome dancer he’d been introduced to as Taeyong earlier.

“Sorry I brought you here.” Ten’s voice appears out of nowhere, causing Lucas to snap his head away from where he was watching Doyoung converse awkwardly. Ten sits beside him on the big speaker Lucas probably shouldn’t be sitting on in the first place, one leg jittering up and down despite telling Lucas he wasn’t nervous earlier.

“But I literally _asked_ —”

“Not _here_ here, idiot,” Ten laughs, and Lucas forces himself to make eye contact at that, having to shift a little further away with how much lower Ten’s head is. A soft “oh” falls from his lips unintentionally when their eyes meet, almost winded by how fast his gut reacts to the sight of Ten’s already unfairly pretty eyes intensified by dark eyeliner, the contrast of the dotted silver glitter under wide eyes entrancing. His hair has grown a lot since Lucas had first met him, now brushed into a subtle middle part where it’s usually wild and untamed, especially on those rare weekend mornings where Lucas actually wakes up in time to witness the other wake up from his slumber with one eye fighting to stay open and fluffed up hair. In an ideal world, Lucas would like to be able to tell Ten just how ethereal he looks right now. Luckily, his reaction can easily be disguised as a reply, so Ten thinks nothing of it.

“I mean back here,” He clarifies.”You look like a lost child. It’s not usually this chaotic.”

“It’s okay, I get it,” Lucas looks away, focusing on a guy jumping up and down nervously near the entrance to the stage like he’s the most interesting thing in the world. “The crowd looked hard to please.”

Ten’s bare thigh (again with the _shorts_ ) brushes Lucas’ clothed thigh, but he doesn’t flinch no matter how bad he wants to; this time Ten moves away first, bends over to fix his shoes. “It’s mostly our family. I think they’d be satisfied even if we only performed The Macarena.”

Lucas doesn’t mean to laugh as loud as he does, especially when it wasn’t that funny, but he does and inevitably attracts the attention of 2 guys near them. One raises his eyebrows at him intimidatingly and Lucas can’t help but turn to an amused Ten for help with a hand thrown over his mouth, tips of his ears red.

“You’re unbelievable.” He says. Lucas will take that as a compliment.

“My parents aren’t here this time,” Ten begins when the conversation dies down, both of them listening to Taeyong letting them know how much time they have left. He stands up, looking down at Lucas now for a change, and suddenly the latter feels his age—it’s easy to forget Ten is older than him when his heart constantly longs to take care of him. “But having someone watch me dance for the first time makes up for it.” _Quiet down, heart_. “You’ll get a good view from the door right here, okay?”

And then he’s gone, following the others onto the stage with a slight bounce in his step. Lucas and Doyoung settle by the door, out of the audience’s sight but with a perfect view of Ten from the side as he effortlessly gets into position.

Ten moves so fast during the first song Lucas can’t keep up, jaw open dumbly as he struggles to keep an eye on him. Doyoung even pokes Lucas to ask where Ten went a few times, though Lucas knows he was probably just distracted by this Taeyong guy and his red hair and forgot the reason he actually came in the first place.

Ten is _good_. Amazing, even. It’s nothing Lucas could ever prepare himself for; Ten moves like light, like he isn’t carrying his own body weight, like he isn’t putting in any effort at all when Lucas can’t even walk without tripping over his own feet or swinging his arms too far and accidentally hitting someone in the face (traumatic for the little kids). He moves from one side of the stage to the other so smoothly and so quick, Lucas can’t contain the little wow’s and woah’s of awe that constantly seem to rest at the tip of his tongue.

The whole performance is amazing, way above what Lucas would expect for a team that isn’t a big thing, but admittedly, it’s hard for him to focus on anyone that isn’t Ten.

The way he had talked about himself had been an understatement, to say the least. He’s the only one to stay on stage after the song ends in what feels like 30 seconds, introduces the next part of the show as the first solo of the night with an exhausted cough, an embarrassed giggle and a slight mess up of his Korean. Lucas blinks. Solo?

The Ten that appears on stage when the lights dim to an alluring red is a different Ten altogether. The contrast between the Ten at home who pouts when Lucas can’t understand what he’s trying to say, the Ten who always lets Lucas decide what food they order with the limited money they have because Ten is picky with his food and doesn’t want to order anything Lucas doesn’t like, and the Ten who currently throws the most teasing of glances towards the audience while his body moves as gracefully as a body can move is hypnotising. Captivating.

This Ten reigns the stage, appears much bigger than he actually is, holds all the power in the world. The song for his solo is much slower and full of of the slightest pauses that allow him to take the smallest of breaths while still subtly moving just to speed up again, but Lucas still finds it hard to keep up. He doubts he’ll ever be able to keep up with someone as magical as Ten.

He wishes he could see from a better angle so he could see the parts that make the small crowd cheer a little louder, but it’s probably for the best that he isn’t front row. He’s already caused too much chaos with his mouth.

He’s unable to tell whether the performance passes too quickly or too slow when Ten is suddenly making his way backstage, the bounce in his step even more obvious as he wiggles through where Doyoung and Lucas stand. Lucas comes back to reality and gets the hint to move back, sitting on a free chair this time instead of the speaker. He wants to say something to Ten, _needs_ to compliment him, but Ten is out of sight behind the other dancers Lucas had forgot even existed for a moment, chugging water like his life depends on it with his back towards Lucas. Then he’s back on stage in a flash, and Lucas is left fighting to find his figure amongst the group again.

  
Lucas doesn’t get a word in over Ten’s constant chatter on the ride back, which is surprising because Lucas can _talk_. For hours, non stop, probably. But not even he can compare to the way Ten is currently blabbering in the back seat, adrenaline and happiness having never been so obvious in a person.

Taeyong is taking them to his house for a few drinks (much to Doyoung’s delight), and although Taeyong had also performed, the vibe between him and Ten is completely different. Being in the passenger seat (he was tempted to ask to swap with Doyoung and sit next to Ten in the back, but it just isn’t practical), he gets a good view of the little nods and hums and amused smiles Taeyong does, and not a good enough view of the way Ten’s eyes are probably shaped in pretty crescents right now. There’s only so many times he can turn back to watch without coming across as suspicious.

At one point Ten asks how he did, but continues to talk excitedly before Lucas can even answer, mentioning something about how Taeyong had almost tripped him up at one point. Lucas can’t complain. If someone you like—or something like that—is rambling about probably the best thing in their life, what are you to do except—

Listen like a little puppy. Fuck you, Doyoung. Lucas is _not_ whipped.

Lucas _attempts_  to tell Ten just how amazing he was with better words than he can manage as soon as he finally gets the chance to speak, which is when they arrive at Taeyong’s house. All that comes out is a “You look so cool while dancing”, but Ten seems pleased anyway, beaming happily with a “Liar. You wanna go get some drinks?” in return. It’s too casual for the amount Lucas feels. He’s suddenly frustrated that Ten can’t just read him without Lucas having to say the words out loud.

Surprisingly, Lucas doesn’t see Ten much for the next few hours; there’s definitely a lot more people than just the dance team at this point. He warms up to one of Ten’s friends named Sicheng soon after they arrive when the stranger hands him a drink, strangely attractive with a friendly aura (being able to speak Chinese with someone since arriving in Korea is always refreshing). Lucas starts to believe there’s an official rule that you have to be good looking to join. Not that any of them compare to Ten. Not even _Taeyong_ compares to Ten.

When they do meet again later, Lucas is on his way outside to reply to Chenle’s frantic texts still demanding he tells him where he mysteriously ran off to. Lucas chuckles to himself as he reads the messages, accidentally bumping into someone trying to get back inside and apologising quickly. A hand latches onto his forearm from behind once he makes it out, the cold breeze on his skin welcomed, and for a moment he thinks he hadn’t apologised _enough_ or something, that the guy is back to beat his ass for accidentally bumping into him in a crowded room.

He turns sharply but only to catch sight of a figure zooming behind him—it’s only when he does a 360 turn back around that he’s met with a grinning Ten in front of him, snickering at his own antics. Maybe it’s the few drinks he’s had, or simply the glow that faintly rests on Ten’s cheeks from a streetlight near the corner of Taeyong’s house paired with the hand that’s still loosely hanging onto the sleeve of Lucas’ sweater, but Lucas’ heart _blooms_. A whole garden, with probably all colours of the rainbow.

“Are you bored?”

“I had to answer a text,” Lucas answers honestly, but contradictingly finds himself slipping his phone into his pocket without answering anyone. “I’m not bored. Are you?”

Ten sits down on a small step outside, and Lucas finds himself following for some reason, mindful to keep his distance in case it makes Ten uncomfortable. Maybe now would be a good time to bring up the slight change in Ten’s behaviour. Or _never_. Lucas settles with never.

“Kinda. Taeyong keeps refusing to play the songs I ask for.” Ten says, eyes focused on something in the distance. Ten must have better vision or just be in a trance, because when Lucas follows his trail of sight all he sees is darkness. And a bush.

Lucas snorts. “I like the songs he’s been playing, though.”

“Then we don’t match,” Ten replies jokingly, and Lucas tries his hardest to not take it any other way. “This song sucks. I expected better from you.”

The song playing isn’t one Lucas knows, but it’s fast and loud and he likes it (he makes a note to ask Taeyong for some of the names before they leave). He wonders what type of songs Ten listens to; his mind naturally sways to the opposite, imagines Ten’s phone full of slower, prettier songs, probably rich in vocals. He almost forgets Ten is sitting right next to him and he can just _ask_ him with how silent it is, the only noise being a faint beat through the walls of the house behind them and Ten’s foot tapping along timidly even after saying he doesn’t like the song.

There’s still so much Lucas doesn’t know about Ten, he realises, but just as he makes up his mind up to casually ask for a song recommendation, Ten opens his mouth to say “Xuxi” almost warily. Lucas doesn’t think too much about the sudden switch in nicknames, but it feels nice to hear after a while. Another flower grows.

He turns to look at Ten as a silent answer, searching his face for any hint of what he might ask. Ten glances at him once and then avoids eye contact altogether, so Lucas’ gaze automatically falls to the slight exposure of skin on Ten’s shoulder, the big sweater he had changed into after the show clearly _too_ big. He has to force himself to look away.

“I wasn’t gonna ask this but I think I still have too much adrenaline in me,” Ten pauses. “Are you okay with...like, me?” Lucas stares. This has to be some fucked up case of deja vu.

“You’re really asking me this?” He says, laughing in disbelief. If only Ten _knew_. “Of course I’m okay with you. I’m more than okay with you. Jungwoo—Jungwoo asked me this too, why does everyone think I hate them?”

Ten’s face contorts to something unreadable. “Jungwoo asked you this too?”

“Yeah,” Lucas says, still speaking louder than necessary out of disbelief. “Yeah. Do I just give off vibes that I hate people?”

“No!” Ten is quick to disagree, but Lucas finds no reassurance in it. If anything, he’s just more confused. “Wait, Xuxi, I don’t think you get what I’m trying to say.”

Lucas’ eyes narrow in suspicion. “I don’t think I do either.”

Ten takes a deep breath and swivels his body to face Lucas, pulls his legs up just like the day Lucas had found out Ten liked to dance, but instead of the comfy mattress of his bed below, there’s a stone-ridden piece of concrete that’s making his butt numb. He hopes Ten will make it quick so he can get up before he completely loses feeling.

“Were you okay with me dating Jungwoo? Or bringing guys around? Specifically because they’re _guys? Are you okay with guys dating guys?_ ”

Lucas’ first reaction is the urge to laugh, half bitter, half amused. He can name tons of things he may have expected Ten to say, like why do you always knock my shampoo off the shelf and never pick it up, or why does the bedroom still smell so strongly of the perfume he asked Lucas to only use in the bathroom because he hates the smell so badly it makes him gag, but never this. It’s ridiculous, because _Lucas is a guy that likes guys_ , girls too, but _guys_. He’d never specified, but honestly, he thought it would be obvious, and if not just by knowing him, by the way he probably looks at Ten hopelessly with stars in his eyes.

But he doesn’t laugh, because there’s genuine worry in Ten’s eyes that should never be there as long as Lucas is around, and Lucas gets it. His expression shifts to one of realisation when he thinks about Ten moving away the past few weeks, Ten pushing him away, setting up imaginary boundaries that stop Lucas from getting any closer.

“God, hyung, no. I mean, yes, I’m okay with it, I like guys too,” _Now isn’t the time to stutter, Lucas, please. Get it together_. “What made you think this?”

Ten visibly relaxes a little by letting out breath Lucas didn’t even notice he was holding in, but he still isn’t relaxed completely. Lucas hates this look on him. Hates himself a little for making him think like this for so long.

“I just thought—I’m a naturally touchy person, but you kept moving away and that’s okay, I thought maybe you were just uncomfortable with that,” Ten explains, hands coming to cover his face and rub at his temples as if he’s been stressed for weeks. He probably has; Lucas doesn’t blame him. “But then I put that movie on, as a sort of test, and you looked so uncomfortable. You kept looking at your phone when they got too close. So I thought this is it.”

Lucas struggles to come up with an explanation for that (saying “I couldn’t watch the movie because I kept imagining me and you as the main characters” doesn’t seem like it would go down the best right now) so he grabs Ten’s hands in his hands in an effort to sort of prove himself. Maybe he just wants to hold his hands too. It’s cold out.

“But you heard me, right? I like guys.”

“I heard you,” Ten glances at his hands wrapped in Lucas’, lips quirking for the slightest of seconds, but Lucas notices, and kinda wishes he didn’t. He doesn’t need anything to fuel his feelings right now, not when his crush has only just found out he isn’t _homophobic_. “God, this was the dumbest miscommunication ever. But in my defence, you’re extremely straight-passing. So, you’re just not a touchy person?”

“No,” Lucas answers way too fast to be casual with multiple shakes of his head. He chooses to ignore the straight-passing part—he‘s been told too many times, and is yet to hear the detailed explanation he deserves. “I like touching,” Wow. Not what he meant to say. “And it wasn’t dumb, on your part. I should’ve told you before we started _living_ together.”

“But you…” Ten’s expression is something between innocent and teasing, paired with a head tilt. Lucas swallows. “Why do you always move away? And now you’re holding my hands?”

For the first time in his life, Lucas is truly, completely speechless. He can’t lie, and even if there was something he could come up with right now, Ten would be able to tell, because quite frankly, anyone could. Lucas had once been awarded worst liar by his friends in a made up competition when they were 9. He swears he _tried_ to tell his mom he accidentally ate her lipstick without laughing. It was just too hard.

Now at 19 in front of his crush, he laughs nervously again for a considerable amount of time. Ten watches him with his eyebrows raised, grains of glitter from under his eyes spread across his cheeks in a beautiful mess, and Lucas comes to a stop. Right. There’s an answer expected here. Fueled by a slight tipsy buzz running through his veins, he decides to give up and do what he (unwillingly) knows best. After all, does what he has to lose compare to what he has to give? Considering he’d give Ten the universe if he could at this point, Lucas doesn’t think so.

“Is it a terrible idea to like your roommate?”

The song has changed to something even louder and a lot more deafening, but Lucas wishes it was even louder to drown out how loud Ten’s small “oh my god” sounds in his ears and how his eyes widen immediately, hands tightening into a ball instinctively under Lucas’.

It’s stupid, but when someone opens the door not even a second later, clearly drunk and greeting Ten excitedly, Lucas makes a run for it. Says a quick “hi” with a bow like he knows the guy just to look less suspicious, and then zooms through the door and crowd to the nearest person he can find without looking back at Ten. Sicheng doesn’t question the way he’s breathing hard, both with fear and the type of giddiness a 14 year old girl may feel after sending her crush a paper airplane with a note on; probably just assumes he ran to him. Which in all fairness, he did. Where are the drinks again?

Unsurprisingly, Ten finds him only 1 sip into his new drink; Lucas sees Ten before he sees _him_ , but it’s not exactly subtle when Lucas makes a panicked escape towards the hall to find a bathroom before realising he has to walk straight past Ten’s line of vision. It’s not a surprise when he turns around to see Ten this time, but to be pushed to the wall with Ten’s hands on his shoulders just next to the locked bathroom door by the older definitely _is_ a surprise. The “damn” that leaves Lucas’ lips is a complete accident.

“Listen to me,” Ten begins, standing on his tippy toes with a hand resting near Lucas’ chest like he doesn’t quite know where to put it. When does Lucas ever _not_ listen to him? He’s so close, so _warm_ , the soft fabric of his sweater addicting when Lucas runs his hand across, itching to place both of his hands on the others’ waist but stopping himself. “It’s not the best of situations, I know. I’ve thought about it more the last month than you could even guess, probably.”

If Ten was saying anything else, Lucas would probably be too overwhelmed by the wandering hand and close proximity, cute nose close enough for Lucas to only have to lean a little lower to kiss it, to pay attention to Ten’s words so closely. But he’s pretty sure, almost 100% sure, that Ten is hinting at—

“But I like you. Maybe we should give it a go.” His voice is timid now, dropping his feet back fully to the ground. Lucas exhales so hard into a full blown goofy grin he’s not sure he even has any breath left in his lungs afterwards. His mind races, his heart races, his feet _urge_ to race, but he won’t run again, even if he’s so overwhelmed he wouldn’t be surprised if a tear slipped out against his own will any second.

Lucas practically giggles. He hopes this’ll be the start of an era where Ten won’t constantly seem to leave him speechless and laughing giddily around him, so he can say the things he really wants to say, that Ten deserves to hear everyday. But right now, he’s definitely speechless.

“You’re an amazing dancer, did you know? I thought I was going to die watching you.” He blurts out in reply. Ten makes a funny expression like he wasn’t expecting that to be said and then laughs, all high pitched and _happy_. Lucas is happy too. His hands wander further up to Lucas’ shoulders, tippy toes back with confidence. “Wait, how much did you drink?”

“Not much. Probably less than you, why?”

“I want to kiss you.”

“You can kiss me,” Ten says. The corners of his lips quirk, eyes falling to Lucas’ thicker lips. Hooded eyes, sultry look. Lucas is drowning. “Please kiss me.”

“I can’t kiss you, hyung,” Lucas replies, voice quiet and laced with disappointment as if he isn’t the only one stopping it. He drops his hands that made their way to Ten’s waist at some point. “You might regret it tomorrow.”

Ten all but rolls his eyes, directly in front of Lucas’ face. “Xuxi, I drank less than you. I’ve been thinking about kissing you ever since I first _met_ you, even before I realised I wanted to date you more than I’ve ever wanted to date anyone else before and do all the other things couples do. _You can kiss me._ ” He says, tightening his arms around Lucas’ shoulders to prove a point.

But Lucas is stubborn, and even when Ten pouts up at him, all sly and pretty and just where Lucas has always wanted him to be, he shakes his head. Ten isn’t slurring and probably did drink even less than Lucas, but Lucas has wanted him so badly, it still feels too good to be true. Ten steps back with a sigh of defeat and suddenly Lucas feels so much colder (it probably has more to do with the breeze the bathroom door just caused with how fast this guy just pushed it open and ran out, paying Lucas and Ten no mind).

“Okay. Let’s go home.” Ten says, a mischievous look on his face, holding his hand out for Lucas to take.

“Let’s go home?”

“Let’s go,” He confirms. “You can kiss me in the morning and I’ll tell you all of this again and then you can decide whether to believe me or not. But I’m impatient when it comes to you, so we’re going to sleep as soon as we get home. Fair?”

Lucas beams. Maybe Doyoung wins this round. Lucas _is_ whipped.

  
Lucas wakes up the next morning only hours after he falls asleep to the feeling of a hand in his, but this time it’s more than welcomed, and he opens his eyes faster than he’s ever opened them before. It’s one of those rare morning where Ten is still fast asleep in his own bed, hair sticking out in all directions, shirt somewhere on the floor even though Lucas remembers him falling asleep with a shirt on. It was cold last night, but he must’ve gotten too warm.

Ten sleeps like a baby. Not cutely (it shouldn’t be cutely; Lucas still coos), but so deep in sleep that Lucas can still see his mouth open concerningly wide even in the fading 5am darkness of the room, other arm bent above his head in a way that’s also kinda concerning. Apparently Lucas hadn’t made it easy for him to hold his hand, because Ten is leaned over the side of the bed in a way that must be uncomfy, smaller fingers locked in between Lucas’ longer ones like it was planned. Lucas has too many butterflies for this time of the morning.

The other must have grabbed his hand in his sleep, because when he begins to stir and Lucas stills instinctively like he shouldn’t be awake first, Ten’s already hooded from sleep eyes squint even more in confusion at the sight of their interlocked hands. Lucas shuts his own eyes in an effort to pretend he’s asleep, opening one slightly in time to catch Ten’s crinkle in his nose fade to a small content smile, dropping his head back down to the pillow sleepily without removing his hand. It’s sickeningly sweet and domestic, but they’re roommates after all. Waking up next to each other is something they’re used to. Lucas can get used to waking up with a hand in his, too.

Ten yawns minutes later, hands being forced to separate when he sits up in a stretch. He leaves to go to the bathroom then, and Lucas thinks this is the longest he’s stayed still while being conscious in his whole life, trying so hard to make his breathing pattern seem believable that it’s probably just coming across as worrying. He probably looks like he’s just hyperventilating at this point. Even when Ten comes back to sit on the edge of Lucas’ bed, lithe body and smooth tan skin nothing short of tempting to reach out to, Lucas lies deadly silent, eyes shut completely now.

He feels more than he sees, feels a hand push his hair back once, twice, three times, nails scratching his scalp pleasantly because Ten always lets his nails grow. Feels a button nose bump his by accident, feels lips come to hover by his hesitantly and his own face ache from resisting the urge to smile. He’s glad he used extra mouthwash last night to make this slightly less repulsive for Ten because the latter wastes no time in slipping their lips together after Lucas licks his own, one of his hands resting delicately on Lucas’ jaw, nimble thumb caressing his cheekbone. It’s obvious Lucas is awake now (Ten clearly knew the whole time) in the way his lips start matching the slow pace Ten has set immediately and his hand finds it’s way to Ten’s hair, smoothing it out just to mess it up again when Ten goes a little deeper. His other hand rests on Ten’s waist like it’s always wanted to, runs up and down Ten’s back like his life depends on it.

He knows he’s inexperienced compared to Ten, but Ten kisses _amazingly._ It’s more just the thrill of having Ten this close to him, his stomach flipping pleasantly when he opens his eyes to check he isn’t dreaming, but the experience is still obvious, and Lucas pushes down his need to take control to let Ten guide him. He tastes so strongly of the toothpaste he’d just used while Lucas probably tastes of an unattractive mix of morning breath and the mouthwash he’d used hours ago, but Ten kisses him like it’s all he’s wanted for so long, like he’s been waiting way longer than the few hours they slept after Lucas killed the mood last night.

The kiss doesn’t last long enough though, because then Ten is pulling away and Lucas is pulling him back in the form of a suffocating hug, the former being forced to flop onto his side on Lucas’ bed from where he was bent over. He groans, mumbling something about Lucas being annoying, but Lucas is too far gone to care at this point. Ten settles down on his back while Lucas practically throws him around like a boisterous puppy, finally settling with throwing an arm over Ten’s bare stomach and resting his head on his chest, head tucked under his chin and one leg splayed across Ten’s own. His skin is warm, and when his hand comes up to rest in Lucas’ hair, Lucas’ eyes close with a sigh of pure bliss. He deserves this cuddle. Both of them deserve a cuddle.

“This is so stupid,” Lucas feels Ten’s jaw move above him when he talks, voice still croaky from sleep. “I thought you were homophobic 24 hours ago, and now you’re suffocating me.”

Lucas pulls his head back to see Ten’s face, eyes flickering over all of his features. “You’re still willing to give this a go? It feels like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“I don’t think anything can get more disastrous than me thinking you’re straight and homophobic,” Ten says jokingly, the way his cheeks warm up a little giving more away than his words. “If you’re willing to try—”

“I’m so willing,” Lucas cuts him off, shooting up out of Ten’s arms. “I’ve never been more willing in my life, and once Doyoung asked me if I wanted to go to a Beyoncé concert with him.”

“Did you go?”

“No, he lied, but—” Ten laughs, as radiant as ever, and Lucas thinks his own happiness is now set for the day. “Not the point. I think—I think I’d do anything for you. Hyung, can I take you on a date?”

Ten’s cheeks colour the lightest shade of pink, suddenly embarrassed by those simple words as if he didn’t practically make out with Lucas 5 minutes ago. “I don’t see why not,” He turns away from Lucas, flustered. “But brush your teeth first.”

Ten makes his way into the kitchen, and like usual, Lucas is left watching with hearts in his eyes and his heart in Ten’s hands, only this time he isn’t left yearning.

 

**Author's Note:**

> if you’ve somehow finished this 10k of mediocre word vomit that probably also has 749293 typos i need to fix, thank you so much for reading!! i hope you liked it ♡


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